Fremont Casino Quietly Reveals Tony Roma’s Replacement: Neon Fork
Gawd. It’s so frustrating when you can get the entire story from the headline, but that’s pretty much the case here.
Thankfully, we are a world-class story fluffer, so gird.
Tony Roma’s closed at Fremont Casino on May 9, 2026. Yes, we broke the story. Do you know this blog at all? Dogged investigative journalism has unearthed Tony Roma’s replacement, a new concept called Neon Fork. And by “dogged investigative journalism,” we mean we walked into the Fremont and saw the name on a construction wall.
Anyway, Tony Roma’s was popular but mid, as our fellow youths say.
Boyd Gaming, operator of Fremont Casino, has been rolling out gastropub concepts across its Las Vegas casinos, all with different brands.
Most recently, Gold Coast got Charter 75. Suncoast has 90 Ninety. There’s also Bailiwick at The Orleans.
These restaurants are reliably good, and don’t come with any sticky partnerships or licensing deals. They’re managed internally.
There’s clearly a template for these concepts, but each venue feels distinct. There’s a formula, but they don’t feel formulaic.
Since Boyd hasn’t officially announced Neon Fork yet, let’s see what A.I. can whip up in the form of a news release.
“Fremont Hotel & Casino will introduce Neon Fork, a new gastropub concept designed to bring energetic, approachable dining to the heart of downtown Las Vegas. Inspired by the spirit of Fremont Street and Boyd Gaming’s popular neighborhood dining destinations, Neon Fork will combine elevated comfort food, handcrafted cocktails and a lively bar scene in a casual, welcoming setting.”
Not bad.
More cutting-and-pasting from the news release that doesn’t exist yet: “The menu at Neon Fork will feature a mix of shareable starters, signature burgers, sandwiches, fresh salads, flatbreads, hearty entrees and indulgent desserts, with a focus on familiar favorites served with contemporary flair. The beverage program will include a full bar with signature cocktails, modern classics, martinis, wine and a broad selection of draft and bottled beers, including craft options. Neon Fork will also offer social hour specials and late-night selections tailored to downtown’s round-the-clock energy.”
While Boyd’s other gastropubs aren’t 24/7, it’s possible the Fremont Casino location could be.
Similar venues at Boyd casinos have live music, which we can only hope isn’t a thing at Neon Fork.
Neon Fork should round out Fremont Casino’s dining options nicely. The food court has been a win, with offerings like 3rd Street Grill (haven’t tried it), Fremont Pizza Company (quite good, tough sell with Pizza Rock across the street), Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders (awesome), Tomo Noodles (hot water in Vegas?), Steak ‘n Shake (always forgettable) and Dunkin’ (can’t miss). Craft Kitchen and Roli Roti have closed since the food court was first unveiled.
Boyd has largely avoided the celebrity licensing deals that have done so well with companies like Caesars Entertainment. Hell’s Kitchen alone is making more money than many Las Vegas casinos.
While we’re fluffing, let’s have A.I. take a stab at the interior of Neon Fork.
Honestly, A.I. can do this all day. How are we all not fired yet?
Maybe more neon!
One thing we’d love to see at Neon Fork is some of the neon from the Stardust. They have some neon Googie stars on the walls at 90 Ninety at Suncoast, but there must be more in storage somewhere.
These sweet Googie stars from the Stardust at 90 Ninety Bar & Grill almost make up for the live music. @suncoastcasino pic.twitter.com/XjGlkM2DTn
— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) October 23, 2022
Anyway, we trust we’ve sufficiently fluffed this blog post, so we’ll close with this: Las Vegas will always make new things. Not everything’s going to win James Beard Awards, but new is often enough. We’re a big fan of affordable and approachable, especially if there are big-ass pretzels involved.
And there are always big-ass pretzels involved.
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